Illuminated display device



June 1938. F. A. SUNDERHAUF 2,119,689

ILLUMINATED DISPLAY DEVICE Filed July 31, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR fi'ea'er/c/r .4. Sunder/rauf' ATTORNEY June 7, 1938. F. A. SUNDERHAUF 9 ILLUMINATED DISPLAY DEVICE Filed July 31,. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR 21 Frederick 14. 5U/70'8f/78Uf if/r4 a. 64

ATTORNEY Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE signor to Reynolds Metals Company, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 31, 1937, Serial No. 156,793

8 Claims.

The present invention is an improved collapsible or knockdown display device including means for supporting an article of merchandise in a displayed position, and among its primary objects, the invention aims to provide a display device which may be easily set up in effective position, which occupies a minimum space and is generally flat in collapsed position, and which will in the displayed position present a novel and attractive appearance.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a display device in which the appearance of the article on exhibit as well as the identity of its manufacture, will be made plain in an attractive manner by reason of lighting features which are distinguished not only by color,

but in the character thereof, in addition to the' color.

With the above general objects in mind, the further and more specific objects of the present invention as well as the advantages thereof, will plainly appear in the course of the following description in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and in which- Figure 1 is a front perspective of the device in its effective display position.

. Figure 2 is a side perspective thereof.

Figure 3 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the device shown in the position of Figs. 3 and 4.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view with the base frame in collapsed position and Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the entire device collapsed.

Referring now to these figures and more particularly to Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, the invention proposes a display device of which one of the essential parts is an upright member l0, the'central portion of which is cut away to form an enlarged display opening ii between side panels l2 and an upper cross panel l3.

Of these panels, the vertical side panels I! afford ample front surface for ornamentation in any suitable manner in keeping with the article or articles to be displayed, as for instance, by pictorial representations either of the articles themselves, their purposes and manners of use, or illustrations otherwise ancillary to the general display.

The upper cross panel 13, which connects the upper ends ofthe side panels l2 and lies in the same plane therewith, may be straight or, with the idea of enhancing the display value of the general device, may be curved as shown and printed with any sales or display indicia above, below or at the sides of a stencil l4 die-cut or otherwise formed therewith, outlining the name or names of the commodity or the name or names of the manufacturer thereof, it being essential that this stencil be spaced substantially vertical 10 above the upper end of the display opening ll for a reason which will presently appear.

The upright member as thus constituted is in practice preferably formed by die-cutting or it otherwise from a single piece of a cardboard type i of material, and as above stated, suitably printed or otherwise coated to enhance the display features of the device as a whole. In forming the opening 'I l a section of the original blank is diecut or otherwise removed, but in the present instance, as wlll presently be seen, the material which is removed is but a portion of the total area .of this opening, the remaining portion, at the lower end of the opening, being left with its sides cut, to form a portion of the lower section of the display device, generally indicated at l5.

. The above mentioned lower section is initially an integral part of the blank from which the upper upright section is formed, and the side portions of the lower section are in connection with 0 the lower ends of the side panels l2 by partially cut or hinged joints at Hi, the before mentioned portion of the blank left standing in the opening Ii and indicated at H, being an integral part of the lower section, between the hinged connections 35 I6 so that when the lower section is flexed or folded forwardly and upwardly to horizontal position, or in other words, at right angles to the upright section Ill, the portion i'l swings rearwardly and downwardly so as to form an article support rearwardly of and at the lower portion 'of the display opening so that through the latter the supported article of manufacture may be readily viewed. Preferably the rear end of this supporting portion I1 is curved as shown.

The lower section It has along its lower edge a hingedly connected panel It, the hinged connection indicated at it permitting this panel to be dropped to a vertical position when the lower section I5 is in horizontal effective position. The front surface of the drop panel ll forms a convenient display surface upon which may be imprinted or otherwise formed various display indicia descriptive of or otherwise relating to the article on display.

In addition to its display features, the drop front panel l8 forms the front support of the display device as a whole and to its rear surface, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 6 and '7, are attached at various points as at 20, the flexible hinged and interengaging members 2| of a collapsible supporting frame adapted in one position, the collapsed position, to lie approximately fiatwise against the rear surface of the drop panel I8 and in another position to extend rearwardly therefrom beneath the lower horizontal section l5 and particularly the rearwardly extending article supporting portion ll of the latter. One of the members 22 of this collapsible supporting frame has an extending portion or tongue 23 which in the effective extending position of the frame, as shown in Fig. 6, upstands, and for the reception of which the article supporting portion I! has a slot 24, as particularly seen in Fig. 7.

Thus, in the first instance, considering the parts to be in the collapsed position of Fig. 8, the entire lower section is folded or flexed on the hinges I 6 to horizontal position, or in other words, to the position shown in Fig. '7. The lower supporting frame is then extended to the position shown in Fig. 6 and thus by dropping the panel I8 to a position at right angles to the lower section l5, this supporting frame will be moved beneath the article supporting portion l1 so that upon extension of its tongue 23 upwardly through the slot 24 the supporting frame will be locked in effective position and prevented thereafter from accidental lateral swinging or collapsing movement.

In addition to the foregoing parts, the display device includes a rear collapsible member, generally indicated at 25, suitably secured as by means of adhesive material along its vertical side A edges, as at 26, to the rear surfaces of the upright side panels I2, and so adjusted to the upright section of the display device as to present a sufficient fullness to receive thereagainst the free edge of the article supporting portion l1 so that this rear member which thus forms a backing wall rearwardly beyond the display opening, will be flexed rearwardly in a curve, the central portion of which follows at least a portion of the curved contour of the said portion l1 engaging the same.

That portion of the inner or forward surface of the rear flexible wall 25 within the vertical limit of the display opening I! is preferably provided with a bright or shiny reflecting surface, and this may be done, and preferably is done, by coating said surface with a metallic foil, the remaining upper portion of the inner or forward surface of the rear flexible wall 25, above the upper edge of the display opening ll, being distinguishingly colored, preferably with a dull surface, contrasting with that portion of its surface exhibited to View through the display opening, both as to color and character. The bright, shiny lower reflecting surface of the rear wall 25 is indicated at 21, and its upper reflecting surface, distinguishing from the surface 21 in the characteristics above mentioned, is indicated at 28.

The upper cross panel l3 of the upper upright section of the display device preferably has a collapsible foldable support 29 for a lighting bulb,

as seen at 30 in Fig. 5, this support being substantially above the upper edge of the display openings ll so that the bulb 30 is entirely concealed from front view and positioned to throw its direct rays downwardly upon the article supported on the article support l1. The bulb is also positioned so that its rays reflected from the lower portion 21 of the surface of the back wall 25, will be reflected from the latter forwardly through the display opening ll so that the supported article on the support I! is thus in an area fully lighted by the bulb i3 or equivalent light source, both by reason of the direct light thrown on the object and the reflected light from the lower ,bright reflecting surface 21 of the rear wall.

The upper colored surface 28 of the rear wall, concealed from view through the display opening, forms a reflecting surface by means of which the rays from the light source are reflected forwardly through the sign stencil l4 and thus the letters of this stencil appear in the color of the reflecting surface 28 so as to present an attractive distinction with respect to the light shown through the display opening H. If in addition to its different color, the reflecting surface 28 is made dull as compared to the bright character of the reflecting surface 21, the character of the light viewed through the stencil will thus distinguish in character as well from the light enveloping the displayed object and showing through the display opening ll.

As will be seen in Fig. 8 in particular, the rear wall 25 is flexibly hinged to its attached portions 26 and, in view of its necessary fullness between the connected side portions thereof preferably has a lateral flexing joint 3| so that the entire display device is collapsible substantially flatwise, as indicated in the figure just mentioned to occupy in disuse a minimum space for greater convenience in shipping and other transportation.

As a further feature tending to enhance the attractiveness of the display especially through the display opening II, that portion of the flexpreferably vertically scored along a plurality of lines, as indicated at 32, so that as flexed and curved in the effective position shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 in particular the rear wall presents a series of narrow vertical connected strips, the effect of which in use is to divide this reflecting surface into a plurality of facets presenting a plurality of very minute angles at the score lines 32 and giving a prismatic effect in the reflection of light through the display opening I I.

The display device as a whole, as thus fully outlined, is obviously capable of economical manufacture, protected transportation in collapsed position, and may be easily and quickly set up in effective position for the display of a great variety of manufactured articles in not only an attractive but a pleasingly attractive manner.

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising a body of a cardboard type of material, including an upper section for display in an upright position, having a portion of the material thereof removed to form a display opening and panels at the sides and across the top of said opening, a lower section forming a continuation of the side panels and foldably hinged at its side portions to the lower ends of said panels for disposal in a horizontal position forwardly of the lower portion of the upper section, said lower section having an integral central portion consisting of a portion of the material removed from the'display opening of the upper section and yieldable rearwardly and downwardly with respect to the upper section to a horizontal position when the lower section is in horizontal position, and forming an article support, said lower section having a flexibly hinged drop panel along its lower forward edge, and a collapsible support for the display device carried by the said drop panel and having means to engage the said article support, for holding the lower section in substantially horizontal display position and at the same time maintaining the drop panel in substantially vertical position.

2. A display device comprising a body of a cardboard type of material, including an upper section for display in an upright position, having a portion of the material thereof removed to form a display opening and panels at the sides and across the top of said opening, a lower section forming a continuation of the side panels and foldably hinged at its side portions to the lower ends of said panels for disposal in a horizontal position forwardly of the lower portion of the upper section, said lower section having an integral central portion consisting of a portion of the material removed from the display opening of the upper section and yieldable rearwardly and downwardly with respect to the upper section to a horizontal position when the lower section is in horizontal position, and forming an article support, said lower section having a flexibly hinged drop panel along its lower forward edge, and a rear flexible collapsible wall in connection at its sides with the side panels of the upper section, and engaged and held by said rearwardly yieldable article support in the display position, for forming a backing for an article on said support.

3. A display device comprising a body of a cardboard type of material including an upper section disposed in upright position and including'upright side panels and an upper cross panel at the sides and top of a display opening, a lower horizontal section hingedly connected at its rear side portions to the lower ends of .said upright panels and having an integral portion projecting rearwardly through the display opening at the base thereof and terminating in a rear curved edge, a vertically disposed drop panel hingedly connected at its upper edge to the forward edge of said lower section, supporting rneans carried by and collapsible against the rear surface of said drop panel, and in effective position extending beneath the lower horizontal section and the rearwardly extending portion thereof, said 001- lapsible support and said rearwardly extending portion of the lower section having relatively engaging means to hold the said support in extended position and maintain the drop panel in vertical position, and a flexible rear member hingedly connected to and collapsible against the rear surface of the urTper section and in display position engaged and held in curved extended position rearwardly of the display opening by the rear curved edge of said rearward extension of the lower section.

4. A collapsible flat folding cardboard display device comprising an upright having side and top panels forming a display opening therebetween, the upper panel having a sign stencil above said display opening, a substantially horizontal article support extending rearwardly of the upright at the base of the display opening to support an article for display through said opening, means of illumination supported at the rear of the said upright above the display opening for directing light downwardly upon an article on said support, and a horizontally curved foldable rear reflecting member presenting a main reflecting surface at the rear of the article support having a facing of metallic foil for the full height of the display opening, and having a pigmented area above the upper. end of the display opening for reflecting colored light through the said sign stencil.

5. A collapsible flat folding cardboard display device for articles of merchandise comprising an upright member having a display opening and a sign stencil above said opening, a member for supporting an article at the rear of the upright for view through said opening, means of illumination disposed at the rear of the upright above said display opening for directly lighting an article on said supporting member, and a foldable rear reflecting member presenting a main reflecting surface rearwardly of the article support for the full area of the display opening, and having a second pigmented surface above the display opening for reflecting light from said illuminating means through the sign stencil, whereby distinguishing colors appear at the stencil and display opening from the same source of light.

6. A display device substantially as set forth in claim 5, wherein the main reflecting surface of the rear member opposite the display opening is faced with metallic foil and is provided with a plurality of vertical score lines defining between them a plurality of separate reflecting panels affording a prismatic effect.

'7. A display device including an upright having side and top portions forming between them a display opening, an article support at the lower portion of the opening extending rearwardly of the rear upright, 'means of illumination at the rear of the upright above the said display opening for directing light downwardly on the article support, and a rear member flexibly connected at its sides at the rear of said upright panels, and engaged and held in position by the said article support, said rear member presenting a reflecting surface above the article support for the full area of the display opening and having a plurality of vertical score lines presenting a prismatic effect in the reflection of light therefrom, and at the same time rendering the same flexible for collapsing movement against the upright when the article support is shifted forwardly.

8. A collapsible flat folding cardboard display device having a display opening and a sign stencil above the opening, an article support at the lower portion of the display opening extending rearwardly thereof, means of illumination at the rear of the upright above the display opening for directlylighting the article support, and a foldable rear member forming a backing for the article support and having distinguishingly character- 

